Intermediary
by haunted-mind-14
Summary: Slash. Seth Rollins/Dean Ambrose Ambrollins AU based off a prompt which is included inside. Seth Rollins is a flawed, foul mouthed guardian angel assigned to watch over Dean Ambrose. His task isn't an easy one and he often finds himself conflicted and bending the rules to keep Dean alive, all while dealing with his feelings for the man which are less than appropriate for an angel.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Lately I've been thinking about returning to writing. It hasn't been easy for me. When I start to write I hate what I come up with. It all sounds awful to me. The other night I was browsing on Tumblr and came across a post of prompts titled "The angst prompts that no one wanted" and I loved a few of them. I thought giving one of them a go might be a good way to dive back in. The one I picked out was this one:

"_I'm your guardian angel who's been breaking the rules and keeping you alive longer than you should be and as punishment I have to watch you die."_

Immediately I thought of Ambrollins. What if foul mouthed guardian angel Seth Rollins got assigned to watch over ne'er do well Dean Ambrose? This is an AU, of course. I think this will play out in three parts. Please keep in mind that nobody is really sure what a guardian angel can or can't do or what the rules are, if there are any, so bear with me. I should mention here in the notes that this story will include slash, sex, drug use, alcohol use, and eventual character death. If any of those things bother you I suggest you turn back now. Here we go. I hope you'll enjoy this and let me know what you think. Keep in mind I've been on a long hiatus so this might not be the most incredible piece of fic you've ever stumbled across but dammit, I tried! Kidding, of course. Enjoy!

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Part 1 of 3

"_**How great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard it."**_

Seth Rollins hated his job. The problem with his situation was that he couldn't do a damned thing about it. A guardian angel couldn't just go up to the big man upstairs and turn in his resignation papers, that wasn't the way things operated. His assigned duty for eternity was to be an intercessor, a watcher, a protector. Seth was fine with his fate and accepted that it was his purpose in the afterlife. Fine, up until he was assigned to watch over Dean Ambrose.

"No. No. Dammit, c'mon. No more. Please, I'm begging you now. Where the hell do you put all of it? Do you have some kind of hollow leg that I don't know about? Oh, yeah...that's great. Order some more shots, Dean. That's a great fuckin' idea. I'll just sit over here...invisible...keeping you safe and you know...ALIVE! You make my job so much harder than is has to be. Holy shit! Sorry..." The more irate Seth became while watching Dean down shot after shot the more his wings spread out behind him, those black and yellow feathers ruffled, his wings full and wide in all their glory. Both his fists sat atop the bar, tightened in little balls while Dean, completely oblivious to Seth's presence, smiled big and gulped down half a beer in one swig. Dean had not a single care in the world, his clear blue eyes sparkling as he chatted with the female bartender. Seth's jaw tensed, the realization that he was grinding his teeth hitting him as he watched Dean down two more shots and holler for the bartender to keep them coming. "Shit. The last thing you need is more, buddy."

Seth could sit in the corner of the bar ranting and raving to himself all night long about Dean's horrid drinking habits and not a single soul would hear him. Being unexposed and hushed to the humans he walked the earth with was just fine by Seth, he wasn't sure how well liked a foul mouthed angel would be anyway and invisibility had it's benefits. One of the perks of working as a guardian angel was that you went undetected by the naked eye, a fact Seth was everlastingly grateful for. Anyone unlucky enough to catch a glimpse of him when he was watching Dean drink would see nothing but exasperation and frustration splayed across his face. Those wings that sprouted from his shoulders could reach full span when he was most angry and not a soul would be any the wiser. Of course, the person God assigns an angel to protect can see their guardian but only when the angel allows them to do so. It's only deemed acceptable to do such a thing when a soul is in extreme stress or need. Seth made sure that those instances where he revealed himself were few and far between. Even though he longed to make himself visible to Dean more often than he wanted to admit to himself or anyone else, he only dared to do so when Dean was in danger or needed his help most. Lately those instances were popping up more and more frequently, though. That bothered him. What worried him more than anything else was how deeply he cared about Dean. Angels were meant to protect and care for their assigned souls, yes. They weren't supposed to fall for them.

Seth slouched over the bar as Dean flipped through the karaoke song book. Another Friday night, another night of watching Dean drink himself silly. _Literally silly_. Seth wasn't sure he could take another one of Dean's karaoke renditions of Billy Idol the man was so fond of doing once there was the right amount of liquor in him. Long ago he'd lost count of just how much Dean had consumed in the couple of hours since he'd arrived at this establishment. All he knew for sure was that he was sick and tired of watching Dean feed his addiction and it was only ten thirty, early by Dean's standards.

Seth smoothed down his feathers and tucked his wings against his back, groaning as he rose to his feet and followed Dean to the bathroom. A grown man of twenty eight shouldn't need an angel to accompany him to the toilet but Seth wasn't going to take any chances, not after the incident a few weeks ago where Dean nearly cracked his skull open on a bar's bathroom sink. Luckily Seth was present and fast enough to catch him to keep from harm and so he would be tonight as well, along with every other night for as long as Dean lived. Seth's job was to make sure that was a long time, a Herculean task for sure and one that no other angel envied him for.

"Take a piss and that's it, please, I'm begg...Oh, goddammit!" Seth sighed and rolled his eyes as he watched Dean pull a prescription pill bottle from his pocket and fumble to open the childproof lid. "Sorry, boss. Didn't mean to, it slipped out." Dean cursed and twisted the white top first left and then right as he tugged on it and when that didn't produce results he banged it against the edge of the sink, his lips pursed and brow furrowed all the while. "Dean, won't you just take the fact that you can't get the bottle open as a major hint that you don't need the pills? What do I have to do here? You are the absolute worst at picking up on hints, I swear." Dean wasn't about to give up, even if Seth had tried by willing the top to stick. After working at it for several more minutes and ripping some of the skin off his palm Seth relented and allowed Dean to pop open the bottle, slightly amused at how determined Dean was. "If only you put that much effort into other ventures in life, buddy."

Seth leaned back against the edge of the sink beside the one Dean was posted up at, angry and disappointed as he watched Dean shake a few pills from the bottle out onto his palm. "Sometimes I think you're hopeless, Dean. I don't want to think that. I really don't. You infuriate me to no end, you know that? I'm supposed to have heaps of patience but you truly test me, my friend. Why can't you just get your shit together? Fuck, I wish I could shake you right now. Those pills are garbage. You keep fucking taking them and they don't solve your problems. They numb you temporarily and what then, huh? You're back to shoving them down your throat and chasing them with alcohol." Seth let Dean swallow down the first two pills he pinched between his fingers and popped in his mouth. The rest of the little white tablets met an untimely end when Seth reached out and slapped the bottle from Dean's grip, sending it flying and causing the contents to rattle around in the sink before eventually rolling down the drain. Of course to Dean this felt like nothing more than an accident, all he knew was the bottle slipped from his grasp and went flying. He had no way of knowing Seth had stepped in.

"Fuck. FUCK FUCK FUCK!" Seth had to stifle a laugh as Dean cursed and clawed wildly at the drain.

"Yeah, you miss those pills, don't you? Too bad. You're lucky I let you take any of them. You're a fucking mess, Dean. If I didn't love you so much I'd give up on you right here and now, ask for a different assignment and leave you with another angel. I wouldn't do that to you, though. I'd miss you...and you'd probably croak within a week without me."

Seth's heartfelt words fell on deaf ears. Dean continued desperately digging his fingers down the drain in hopes of snagging some of his pills. "Dammit. Fuck! Fuck! Motherfucker!" Dean's string of obscenities didn't stop until the bathroom filled up with a few more bar patrons. Seth nearly felt sorry for him, poor, pathetic Dean had a genuine look of sadness on his face at the loss of his precious pills.

"You swear almost as much as I do, buddy." Seth laughed softly as he followed Dean out the door, using the tip of his wing to straighten the collar on Dean's jacket as they shuffled down the hallway and back towards the bar.

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A few hours went by without another situation where Seth felt like he needed to intervene and that was fine by him. He knew he'd have to save his energy for later on in the night. The wee hours of the morning? That when the real action started. By the time last call rolled around Dean was busy chatting up a young lady, a short girl with big tits and a tight skirt, just Dean's type. His new female friend was quick to latch on and within a few minutes of talking with him her tongue was already down his throat. The mere sight of it made Seth groan. "Really? This is what we're doing now? Jesus Christ...Sorry."

Not fifteen minutes later Dean and his new lady friend were tangled up in the backseat of his car, busy making out like two teenagers. Seth couldn't watch but he could tell by the thick fog spread over the window that both of them were enjoying their little make out session and he was thankful that at least this temporary distraction might give Dean an opportunity to sober up a tiny bit. Dean and his companion emerged from the car a few minutes later, hair mussed and cheeks flushed. Much to Seth's chagrin Dean climbed in the driver's side and behind the wheel. Seth could read the woman with Dean, she was far more sober than he was. He had to step in.

"You're going to drive. Tell Dean you'll drive." Seth whispered in her ear, the tip of his wing wrapped around her waist as he guided her to the driver's side door.

"I'll drive." She smiled sweetly as she stared down at Dean and winked. Seth let out a big breath when Dean shrugged and climbed out.

"Thank you." Seth mouthed quietly, his hands clasped together as he gazed up at the night sky.

It was only a short drive back to Dean's apartment but Seth made sure they got there safely. Every now and then he used his wings to make sure Dean's date kept her focus on the road and hands on the wheel instead of inside Dean's jeans. He wasn't worried about her so much as Dean and wondered to himself where this girl's angel was tonight. Maybe it was their night off? Maybe they'd had enough of her shit? Either way, Seth made sure they both got inside Dean's place intact.

Seth flopped down at the foot of Dean's bed and frowned as the worst part of his night started. The sex. It wasn't intrinsically dangerous, the only protection Dean would need was a reminder to wear a condom. Seth loathed watching Dean intimate with a woman because he was jealous, plain and simple. No matter the girl he brought home, Seth always imagined himself in her place. As a guardian angel he knew this was against the rules and could bring about swift and harsh punishment but he couldn't help himself. Seth was unable watch Dean fuck a woman without imagining what it would be like to be in her place. He's well aware so much as entertaining such thoughts is way out of line and there's nothing that can be done about it. Angels don't get to have sex lives with their souls. Things just don't work that way. Still, Seth's jealous every time he's subjected to watching Dean shove his tongue inside some girl's mouth. Even though it's wrong and he shouldn't Seth always ponders what it might be like to kiss Dean, to be the one he shares such an intimate act with.

Once clothes are shed Dean's naked first and Seth's glad, as much as Dean punishes his body it's still in good shape. Dean's lean and tall, his shoulders broad and waist impossibly narrow. That girl with him can't possibly appreciate Dean's body how Seth does, he's sure of it. "C'mon. Let's get this over with." Seth's rested on the edge of the bed as Dean and his girl picked up where they left off in the parking lot, making out and breathing heavy like teenagers while they rolled around on the mattress. Seth shook his head and looked away, disgusted. "What number is this girl for the week, Dean? Three? Four? You probably don't know any better than I do, huh?"

"You got a condom?" Seth's ears perked up and he turned towards Dean, silently praying he'd make the right choice.

Dean fished around in the top drawer of his dresser and came back empty handed. "Uh, nah. Must be out."

"It's cool." Dean's lady friend didn't seem phased by the lack of protection but Seth sure was.

"You fucking liar! There's a drawer full of condoms, I made sure of that. Dammit, Dean. Do you want to catch something? Sometimes I think you've got a goddamned death wish." Seth frowned and stomped over to the bedside. He reached in to grab a condom and shoved it inside Dean's palm, his wings flapping out in anger as he watched Dean glance down at it with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Oh, found it. Guess I did have one..." Dean laughed, rubbing the foil packet between his finger and thumb.

"Dammit..."

Seth retreated to the corner when things heated up between Dean and his new friend. Seth couldn't remember Dean asking for her name or her even offering it for that matter and he was sure Dean liked it better that way. Dean's new nameless companion sucked his cock for a long time, bringing Seth's envy level to a brand new height. He watched as the young lady's mouth moved up and down the length of Dean's hard, thick cock and had to wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth. He couldn't recall ever being quite this envious before and it damn near made his head spin. "Fuck." Seth shifted and found the best angle possible to watch Dean's cock disappear down her throat. In his mind it wasn't that woman satisfying Dean with her mouth, it was him sucking Dean's dick. "What the fuck is wrong with me? Angels aren't supposed to lust after their souls. I must be sick in the head." Each time the girl's mouth moved over the swollen head of Dean's cock he let out a low, deep whimper. To Seth they sounded almost akin to growls and he drank in each of them, memorizing the sound and committing it to memory. That was the sound he longed to bring out of Dean himself. Though Seth knew it was impossible and reckless to even toy with such an idea, he envisioned pushing that random girl off the bed and replacing her, revealing himself and swallowing Dean's cock down his own throat. Seth knew that was infeasible and merely tinkering with the notion made his stomach twist in a knot and his heart grow heavy.

"Just fuck her already, would you? Get it over with." The longer Dean's female companion blew him the more Seth's urge to take over for her increased. Dean's cock shined with her spit and his hips bucked in time to match her efforts. All Seth could do was watch. He grew more covetous with each passing moment, wholly engrossed in imagining how it would feel for Dean's thick cock to stretch his lips and mouth wide. "Forgive me, Father. I know I'm wrong."

Seth ducked out once the girl rolled the rubber down Dean's shaft and straddled him. He retreated to the kitchen and pulled up a chair, deciding to wait until things were finished to check on Dean again. Little solace was found, however. Dean's new friend made sure to make as much noise as humanly possible, to Seth's implicit disdain. "Wake up the neighborhood, why don't you? Good lo...sorry. I'm really terrible at this, aren't I? I'm a gutter mouthed angel who may or may not be in love with the person he's appointed to protect. I really gotta move up or find another line of work, man." Seth leaned back in his chair, those outlandish, laborious wails still coming from the bedroom. He attempted to clear his head and think of something, literally anything but Dean, genuinely he did. Cracking his knuckles distracted him for a few moments and grooming his feathers served as a temporary diversion. It was no use, however. Seth couldn't help but drift back to improper thoughts and imagined how it would be if it were him writhing atop Dean's cock in that bed. If he closed his eyes tight and steadied his breathing he swore he could almost feel it. "Fuck, this is too much. I can't do this any longer. Maybe Dean's not the one who needs to get his shit together after all."

Seth waited it out until the moaning and squeaking of bed springs halted for good. Thankfully Dean shooed his companion out in record time, hardly permitting her adequate time to dress herself again before showing her the door. Seth trailed just steps behind Dean as he made his way back to bed. Once there he flopped headlong into his pillow, still bare ass naked.

"You're a mess." Seth extracted a clean sheet from Dean's dresser drawer and draped it over his prone body along with a light blanket, Dean's grunting and snoring the only thank you he could muster in his current state. Seth arranged the blanket over Dean's shoulders and sat on the edge of the bed, watching him in silence. He'd arrived at the portion of the night when guilt and shame took over, struck with the reality of just how audacious and wrong his thoughts from earlier truly were given his role in Dean's life. "I can't have you, Dean. It's all I can do to keep you safe and alive. That's enough. It has to be. There's no other way. You need to stay alive and I need to carry out my obligations. Just take it easy on me for a change, would you?" Seth regarded Dean one final time, giving him a long last look before slipping out the window and flying off towards the heavens. He'd be seeing Dean again soon enough, that was certain.

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Final author's note: So, yeah...let me know what you thought of this first part? I hope I've managed to do the prompt justice so far. If you liked it I'd love to hear from you. Constructive criticism is also welcome. I feel like a giant monkey when I sit in front of my laptop and write so any and all help and guidance is appreciated. Thank you for reading! Part two will be coming soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: At the beginning of this story I said this would probably be three parts? Time has gotten away from me. I think of this story often, this particular part has been sitting on my laptop for months now, untouched. I realized the other day that I hadn't updated this since months ago and decided that even though I hadn't finished this off or gone as far as I wanted with this part I wanted to upload it anyway. Things were originally going to progress with Dean and Seth a bit more later in this chapter but I never got there. Here's what I have so far. Something is better than nothing. I am hoping that uploading this and putting it back in my mind some will help me possibly finish it. I would love to see this fic finished. If you're reading this, THANK YOU! A review would be awesome.

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With Dean safe and sound at least until morning, Seth soared through the night sky, his wings carrying him on the wind as he flew home to the heavens. He climbed higher with each flap of his wings, ascending towards the promised land so many prayed and worked to earn entry to once their time on earth was done. Being an angel had its ups and downs, Seth was all too familiar with both the rewards and drawbacks. As he made his way back up and sped through the pearly gates Seth thought of his favorite part of being an angel. Flight. Coasting through the sky never failed to help Seth clear his head and served as a great asset to help bring him some semblance of peace after particularly difficult nights spent preventing Dean from coming to his premature demise.

Despite the events that had transpired just hours ago, Seth felt calm and in good spirits as his wings carried him towards the little section of the heavens that he called home. He'd nearly reached home when he spotted a familiar figure in the distance, flying towards him and approaching fast. "Shit." Seth swore quietly as he landed, one hand shielding his eyes as he squinted and watched the small figure get larger and larger as it closed in on him. "Roman." Seth called out, the word heavily coated with dread.

"Seth! Seth Rollins!" That deep, booming voice reached Seth long before Roman himself did, a shiver shooting straight through Seth when he noted the fashion in which Roman yelled his name. Roman was Seth's boss and an archangel. Seth was considered an intermediary between humans, their souls, and God. Roman was the intercessor between the big man himself and Seth, and he was a fearsome boss indeed. He never failed to strike fear in the hearts of those he spoke to and any angel working underneath Roman's watch was most careful not to end up on Roman's bad side. The man's appearance read more like Greek God than archangel, his large muscles and sculpted body leftovers from his living days as a professional football player. When Roman talked you listened. His demeanor was always serious and Seth couldn't recall an instance where the man wasn't all about business. Roman landed close to Seth and looked him over, seemingly disgusted with what he saw. Just feeling his eyes on him made Seth's skin crawl. A visit from Roman was never good. "Seth, we need to talk. I've been sent to give you a warning."

Seth crossed both arms to his chest and stared at the ground as Roman stepped closer, too embarrassed and intimidated to make direct eye contact. "Hey, Ro. Yeah, I figured as much."

"You _know_ why I'm here."

Roman's tone told Seth he shouldn't push the bigger man given his current mood combined with the reason for having to pay Seth this visit in the first place, but he couldn't resist. "Because of my swearing?" Seth glanced at Roman, giving him half a smirk, hoping perhaps the boss man would take it a little easier on him if he started with a self deprecating joke to break the ice. Seth's joke sank like a ton of bricks, Roman's eyes narrowing as they shot daggers straight through Seth.

"Don't be cute, Seth. You know that isn't why. We're here to talk about your behavior and actions concerning Dean." Roman flashed Seth a grim look, the muscles in his jaw clenching as he said Dean's name. "You're way outta line and you know it."

"I know, Ro. I know. I can't help it." Seth turned away and toed the ground to distract himself, unprepared for what Roman was sure to tell him next.

"You _can_ help it. That's why I'm here. To remind you what your job is. Apparently you've forgotten…" Seth frowned at Roman's last statement, his shoulders hunched and tense as he waited for Roman to scold him further. "Not even going to deny it, are you? What you've been doing is wrong, Seth. If you don't start conducting yourself in a proper manner there will be consequences." Seth turned and looked Roman in the eye at the mention of the word 'consequences', positive that whatever the consequences Roman spoke of were, surely they were grave. "You're meddling in Dean's affairs too much. There are lines you don't cross, Seth. All this was explained to you very early on and laid out in extremely strict guidelines, don't you remember?" Roman raised a single eyebrow at Seth, the look in his eyes telling Seth he shouldn't need to be reminded of such things.

"Yeah, yeah, I remember. Thou shalt not fuck around and stick your nose where it doesn't belong. Amen." Seth mumbled, half glancing at Roman. "RO! Shit...what the..." Seth stuttered as Roman lunged forward, wings at full span as his large hands closed in on Seth's neck. Seth found himself in Roman's clutches, both feet inches off the ground as the bigger, more powerful angel hoisted him up by the front of his shirt.

"This isn't funny. It's not time for fun and games and certainly not time for your potty mouth, understand?" Seth slowly nodded, hardly able to squeak out a 'yes' as Roman's grip tightened. "We're talking about serious business here, Seth. You can either straighten up and listen to what I have to say or I can pluck every feather out of those skinny little appendages you call wings, what's it gonna be?" Behind Roman's light grey eyes Seth saw unbridled anger. He hadn't meant to irritate his boss so, it was just that Seth didn't want to hear his Roman tell him something he already knew.

"Okay! Sorry, Ro. I'll shut my mouth and listen. Can you put me down?" Roman smirked as he shoved Seth down to the ground, Seth collapsing down to his knees once Roman let go. Seth brushed himself off and rose back to his feet, following Roman as he walked and talked.

"The big man sent me. It's never good when that happens, Seth. You know that. You've displeased him. You're Dean's guardian angel, there to protect him and guide him during times of trouble, not save his ass every time he decides to make what you think is a bad decision. Do you understand the difference?" Roman glanced down at Seth as he asked this question, waiting for a response.

"Yeah, I guess. It's just that..."

"No. There's no 'just that'. Here, let me show you. Maybe a visual will make you understand." Roman reached over Seth's shoulder and came back with a freshly plucked short black and blond feather, straight from Seth's wing. "See this feather?" Roman held it high, the quill of the feather pinched between his thumb and forefinger. Seth nodded, observing silently, his eyes following it as Roman suddenly let it go. He watched skeptically as it fell in slow motion, gently approaching the ground. "This feather is Dean. He's gonna fall eventually, Seth." Roman never broke eye contact with Seth as he squatted down and blew on the feather, his breath hitting it from underneath and sending it coasting higher and closer to Seth. "You can alter his path slightly but you can't change his fate." Despite Roman's momentary interruption the feather drifted to the ground and landed softly against the floor of the heavens. Seth sighed and nodded at Roman, the point of his demonstration crystal clear. "Your duty is to guide him, you can help him see that there's an alternative and nudge him in the right direction but what you can't do is literally _everything_ you've been doing lately. I don't even know where to start, Seth." Roman pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh, stopping to grab Seth's shoulder with his free hand and turn him so they were face to face. "You're altering his path too much, Seth. It's no longer _his_ will that drives him to make a decision, it's yours. That's wrong. That isn't what you're sent to do."

"I know, Roman. Don't you think I know I've been wrong? I can't help myself. I just...I..."

Roman's tone turned gradually more solemn the more he spoke on the subject, causing Seth to become more frightened as to just what Roman meant. "You've got to, Seth. If you don't there will be trouble ahead for both you and Dean. I know you probably think you're protecting him but in the long run you'll do him more harm than good if you keep meddling the way you have been."

"What do you mean?" Seth's eyes shot to Roman's, mortified of exactly what he could be referring to.

"I can't elaborate. Just know that there are consequences for your actions, always remember that. You can't make decisions for him, Seth. Not hours ago you knocked pills straight from his hand. That's going too far. If he chooses to continue even after you've planted a seed of doubt in his head then you must let him." Roman squeezed at Seth's arm as he issued a stern warning. "You're playing God and you're not God, Seth."

Seth instantly tensed up, a lump in his throat as he jerked and pulled away from Roman's grip. "So, what? I'm just supposed to let him kill himself? I thought I was meant to keep him alive, isn't that part of my job? I'm supposed to...to just let him die?" Tears fell down Seth's face as he stammered out those last few words, the thought of watching Dean perish causing him to choke up.

"You're not the master of his destiny, Seth. The sooner you accept that the better. You aren't there to alter his fate, that crosses a line. Be his guide." To Seth's surprise Roman paused and reached out with his wing to wipe Seth's tears away, Seth feeling rather pitiful and small that he needed Roman to do such a thing for him. "You love him." Roman spoke after several quiet moments, shaking his head as he stated the obvious. "You know that's against the rules too, Seth. You're really in over your head, aren't you?"

Seth didn't have an answer for Roman. Instead he stood still, quiet as could be as he stared off into the distance, refusing to validate Roman's accusation even though they both knew it to be true. Seth didn't need his big, intimidating, hulk of a boss to tell him he was in the wrong. He already knew. The problem was Seth didn't know how to turn things around now that they'd gone this far and was even less aware of exactly how he could turn off his feelings for Dean, if at all. Seth quietly wondered if any other guardian angel had ever fallen in love with the one they were ordered to watch over. He convinced himself he couldn't have been the first or only one.

"Get your head on straight, Seth. You're an angel. If you play your cards right and stick to the book you can move up, but you've got to do better than you're doing now. You certainly can't get anyplace lusting after Dean the way you've been lately. It's sick, Seth."

"Sick? Why? What's so wrong with it?" Seth jumped to defense, raising his voice at Roman, offended that his boss would use such a word to describe how he felt for Dean.

"It's wrong because it's impossible, Seth. He can't see you for more than brief moments. He can't touch you. It's not plausible, what you're thinking and feeling. You gotta let it go." Roman chided him, shaking his head at the thought of Seth in love with Dean.

"What if I can't?" Seth asked the question softly, fully aware that he wouldn't like Roman's answer.

"Then you'll be punished. Keep lusting after Dean and continue breaking rules to save his ass all the time and you'll receive swift and harsh results, and Dean will as well. You'll be banished, damned, tortured, and relegated to living out the rest of eternity in hell, if that's God's will. I can't say what could happen to Dean, but you can imagine..."

"Yeah." Seth swallowed hard, a sharp pang of guilt surging through his stomach as he pictured Dean subjected to what Roman had just described.

Roman took Seth's chin in his large palm, pulling Seth's head up so they were eye to eye as he continued speaking. "You're gonna go back down there next time you visit Dean and you're going to play by the rules, understand? Do your job and there won't be any difficulties. Stick to the guidelines. Don't make me come talk to you about this again, Seth. Unless you want me to transfer you and appoint Dean a new guardian angel, of course. Man, that would make a third for him if I end up having to replace you..."

"No. No, Roman. You don't have to do that." Seth swallowed hard and blinked rapidly, trying desperately to compose himself and quickly. "No, that won't be necessary. I can do this, Ro." Seth clasped both hands together in front of his body as he swore up and down he'd do as Roman told him, trying his best to be as sincere as possible.

"Let me give you one last piece of advice, Seth. If you truly care about Dean you'll let him choose his own path. No more making choices for him. No more saving him at the first hint of danger. And no more revealing yourself to him when it isn't absolutely necessary, got it?"

Seth took a deep breath and gulped, the severity of Roman's warnings striking great fear into him. Roman's words hit home with Seth, the idea that because of his actions and inability to control his emotions he'd put both Dean and himself in danger of being punished shook Seth to his very core. Thinking of what could potentially happen to Dean in all this made his palms sweat and his mouth go dry, a deep sadness churning in the pit of stomach as he realized he might lose Dean and the blame would be on his shoulders. "Got it." Seth answered finally, staring Roman dead in the eye as he nodded.

"Don't disappoint me." Roman called out as he began to fly off. "And don't let down the big man. That would be a huge mistake. Remember your place, Seth."


End file.
